A Guide To Selected Resources On Memorization Techniques For Pian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
2012
A Guide to Selected Resources on Memorization Techniques for

Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography
Silvia A. Atmadja
West Virginia University
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A Guide to Selected Resources on
Memorization Techniques for Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography
Silvia A. Atmadja
Research project submitted to the

College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts

in
Performance: Piano
D.M.A. Committee
Dr. James Miltenberger, Chair

Dr. Lucy Mauro, Research Advisor
Dr. Keith Jackson
Dr. David Taddie
Dr. James Shumway
School of Music
Morgantown, West Virginia
2012
Keywords: Bibliography, Piano, Memorization, Memorizing Piano Music

ABSTRACT
A Guide to Selected Resources on
Memorization Techniques for Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography
Silvia A. Atmadja
This research project provides reviews of resources for pianists, performers,

teachers and students, striving to deepen their knowledge of memorization techniques and
explore different methods of memorizing piano music, and for scholars pursuing further research
on this important topic. Readers will find resources that discuss the topic from the musical and
psychological standpoints, but not a scientific approach to brain and memorization. Resources
include books, journal articles, and theses/dissertations that are written in English from the 1890s
through the first decade of the 21st century.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………….iv
Chapter I – Introduction……………….…………………………………………………………..1
Background of the Problem……………………………………………………………….1
Limitations of Study………………………………………………………………………2
Method of Research……………………………………………………………………….2
Chapter II – Annotated Bibliography: Books……………………………………………………..4
Chapter III – Annotated Bibliography: Articles…………………………………………………12
Chapter IV – Annotated Bibliography: Theses/Dissertations……………………………………31
Chapter V – Summary and Conclusion....……………………………………………………….38
Common Traits…………………………………………………………………………..39
A Rise of Interest and Recent Development in the Research for the Past Decade………41
Conclusion.………………………………………………………………........................43
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..45
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. James Miltenberger, for his endless
support throughout my study at West Virginia University, and Dr. Lucy Mauro, for her
dedication and personal time spent on this project. I would also like to thank Dr. David Taddie,
Dr. Keith Jackson, and Dr. James Shumway for their guidance and willingness to serve on my
doctoral committee. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and friends and I cannot thank
them enough for all their prayers and encouragement. Christopher Hoffman is the best husband I
could ever ask for. I would have not been able to complete this project without his love and
patience.
iv
CHAPTER I
Introduction
Background of the Problem
Memorization is an integral part of learning and performing music in a pianist’s life.
Pianists memorize their music for most of their recitals and other public performances – a
tradition indebted to Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt, dating back to the 1800s. Although
“memorized performances were considered to be in bad taste and ostentatious even towards the
end of the nineteenth century,”1 they have become standard practice and, indeed, necessary.
Memorization is a process that is done consciously and with a specific intention,2 a
process that can be more challenging to some pianists than others. In fact, all learning processes
are really memory processes.3 The process of memorization is the result of acquiring musical
knowledge and skills that constitute the total musicianship of memorization. Because there are
many factors that may affect memorization, including prior experience in memorization, prior
musical background, length of composition, and kind of repertoire, to name a few, it is important
to examine thoroughly the nature of the stimulus involved in the music learning process.4
Scholars have done much research on the memorization of piano music from the stages
involved in the memorization process to minimizing memory slips and recovering from memory
1
Aaron Williamon, “Memorizing Music” in Musical Performance: A Guide to Understanding, ed. John Rink
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 113.
2
Stephen Weber, “Memory: Beyond Remembering,” Piano Pedagogy Forum v. 2 no, 1, 1 January 1999 [journal
online]; available from http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/keyboard/PPF/2.1/2.1.PPFp.html; Internet; accessed 9 March
2009.
3
Roger Chaffin and Gabriela Imreh, “Understanding and Developing Musical Memory: The Views of a Concert
Pianist and a Cognitive Psychologist,” American Music Teacher 46 no. 3, December/January 1996/97, 24.
4
Eunice Rickey, “An Investigation to Observe the Effects of Learning Style on Memorization Approaches Used by
University Group Piano Students When Memorizing Piano Literature.” (D.A. diss., Ball State University, 2004), 23.
1
lapses during a performance. Numerous books and articles have been published, along with
information on websites and video materials, presenting various ways to approach memorization
from both musical and psychological points of view. This research project provides reviews of
resources for pianists, performers, teachers and students, striving to deepen their knowledge of
memorization techniques and explore different methods of memorizing piano music and for
scholars pursuing further research on this important topic. Readers will find that there are
common traits of memorization that scholars have agreed upon throughout the century, such as
four elements of memory (aural, visual, kinesthetic, and analytical), as well as a rise of interest
and recent development in the research for the past decade, including in such areas as expert
memory and piano performance, and the effect of sleep and time on musical memory.
Limitations of Study
This research project incorporates resources from the 1890s through the first decade of
the 21st century. Readers will find resources that discuss the topic from the musical and
psychological standpoints, but not a scientific approach to brain and memorization. Resources
include books, journal articles, and theses/dissertations that are written in English. Online
resources or websites are not included in this project due to the inconsistency and unreliability of
their nature. Resources that discuss single-line instrumental music memorization are also
excluded from this project.
Method of Research
Among the search engines explored are RILM Abstracts of Musical Literature,
Dissertation Abstracts Online (Dissertations and theses from institutions in North America and
2
Europe), ECO (an OCLC collection of scholarly journals), ArticleFirst (OCLC index of articles
from the contents pages of journals), Ebooks (OCLC catalog of online electronic books available
through libraries worldwide), Music Index Online, JSTOR, the West Virginia University
MountainLynx catalog, and the Library of Congress catalog. To date, the author has found
eighteen books, forty-five journal articles, and thirteen thesis/dissertations that make significant
contributions to this project.
Following this introduction, separate chapters are used for books, articles and
theses/dissertations, along with a final chapter of summary and conclusions. Sources are
catalogued based on the year they were written, from the earliest to the most recent. The standard
format of bibliographical entries according to Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research
Papers, Theses, and Dissertation has been used. Each entry consists of bibliographic information
(author, title, publication name, volume, year, and page number) and a summary annotation
including general information about the types of questions or issues addressed by the work. A
biography of the author, when available, is also included with each entry. The last chapter
focuses on personal observations and conclusions on how memorization techniques of piano
music have developed from the 20th century to today.
3
CHAPTER II
Annotated Bibliography – Books
1. Shinn, Frederick G. Musical Memory and Its Cultivation: Also an Investigation into the
Forms of Memory Employed in Pianoforte Playing, and a Theory as to the Relative Extent of
the Employment of Such Forms. London: Augener Ltd., 1898.
A discussion of memory and its connection with music and musical performance. The
first part of the book discusses the various forms of memory employed in piano playing
(muscular memory, visual memory, and intellectual memory) and the relative extent of the
application of the various forms by different individuals. The second portion of the book
examines the cultivation of musical memory such as general conditions favorable to memorizing,
the value of early training, principles which should guide us in the selection of pieces, how to
study a piece intelligently, rehearsing from memory, and memory performance in examinations.
The last chapter entitled “The Memories of Musicians” is a collection of evidences of remarkable
powers of memory by famous musicians: Mozart, Mendelssohn, Ferdinand Hiller, Hans von
Bülow, Sir Charles Hallé, Rubinstein, Dr. Hans Richter, Sir Frederick Ouseley, and Sir Walter
Parratt. Musical examples include compositions by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn,
Schubert, Schumann, and Weber.
[Frederick G. Shinn (1867-1950) was Mus. Doc., Dunelm, Associate of the Royal
College of Music, fellow of the Royal College of Organists.]
2. Kenyon, C. Fred. How to Memorise Music: with Numerous Musical Examples. London: W.
Reeves, 1904.
One of the earliest comprehensive guides that introduces the concepts of the Faculty of
Analysis, the Faculty of Touch, the Faculty of Hearing, the Faculty of Sight, and the Faculty of
Emotion in assisting one to memorize piano music. The Faculty of Analysis is knowledge of
harmony; the Faculty of Touch is a mechanical faculty and needs other well developed faculties
to support it; the Faculty of Hearing involves training the ear to memorize music; the Faculty of
Sight (photographic memory) is one’s ability to see the printed page while performing and is rare.
The author insists on the necessity of the Faculty of Emotion of all pieces that the student wishes
to memorize. Musical examples include sonatas by Beethoven, etudes by Chopin, and
Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words.
[No biography was found.]
3. Goodrich, A. J. Guide to Memorizing Music. New York: John Church Co., 1906.
An approach to memorizing piano music by apprehending and executing musical designs,

rather than memorizing by rote. Topics covered are diatonic melodic sequences, harmonic
cadences, various forms of complete and perfect cadences, themes and designs formed upon
4
cadence harmonies, non-chord tones (suspension, appoggiatura, passing notes, gruppetti,
anschlag), chromatic and chord sequences, canonic imitations, form, miscellaneous examples
from Beethoven, and examination of the structure of a few compositions written since the death
of Beethoven and Schubert.
[A. J. Goodrich was the author of such works as Complete Music Analysis, Analytical
Harmony, Synthetic Counterpoint, Theory of Interpretation, Music as a Language, and The Art
of Song.]
4. Matthay, Tobias. On Memorizing and Playing From Memory; and on the Laws of Practice
Generally. London: Oxford University Press, 1972 (c1926).
A thorough discussion on the processes applied during the preparation of a performance

and during an actual performance. The author proposes that memorizing requires some form of
connection, progression, or sequence of thought. Various forms of memory available in playing
include: 1) The Musical Memory – melodic, harmonic, rhythmical, and modal memory, 2) The
Visual Memory – eye-memory of the page and eye-memory of the keyboard progressions and
combinations, and 3) The Muscular Memory – the sense of place on the keyboard and the sense
of key-motion or key-resistance. Musical examples include Chopin’s B minor Scherzo,
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 110 (I), and Schubert’s Impromptu in E-flat.
[Tobias Matthay (1858-1945) was an English pianist, teacher, and composer. He taught
piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England for over fifty years. Matthay's
revolutionary concepts about the displacement of tension and his attention to natural musical
laws attracted considerable attention. In 1905 he opened the Tobias Matthay Piano School while
continuing at the Royal Academy. The playing of Myra Hess, Irene Scharrer, Clifford Curzon,
Moura Lympany and others trained by him soon established his position as one of the greatest
pedagogues of all time.5]
5. Hoffzimmer, Ernest. The Musical Memory. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1931.
A lecture given in the School of Music of Indiana University on different types of

musical memory. The ear, the eye, the touch, or the senses of hearing, seeing, and feeling, are
each presented as important in learning music. The author gives the first place to the ear and the
whole ear complex: the receiving ear, the memory of the ear, and the recognizing and recreating
in the mind. The second sense is the eye. One not only has to read music with it, but one has to
observe their instrumental behavior or technique. The third place is given to the sense of physical
feeling, the feeling of grips and passages, of tensions and relaxations, on the instrument. In
addition to what comes from the senses, there is the architecture of music, the form, which
comes from intelligent study of literature, theory, counterpoint, and composition. The author also
points out that there are living energies beyond a perfect memory. They are the powers of
personality, imagination, and suggestion.
[Ernest Hoffzimmer taught at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and at the Dusseldorf
Conservatory. While teaching in Europe, he also earned an enviable reputation as a concert
pianist, presenting the premier performance of works by Swedish composer Ruben Liljefors and
5
http://www.matthay.org/ [Accessed 15 April 2011].
5
Finnish composer Selim Palmgren. Hoffzimmer came to Indiana University in 1927 and quickly
established himself as one of the Midwest's outstanding master teachers of keyboard technique.
After his retirement, he moved to California where he became head of the piano department at
Southern California School of Music in Los Angeles.6]
6. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. The Influence of Analytical Pre-Study in Memorizing Piano Music.

New York: Archives of Psychology, 1937.
A study that compares the efficiency of two procedures in memorizing piano music. One
procedure includes the study and analysis of the musical material before continuing the learning
at the keyboard; the other omits this analytical study and confines the entire learning to the
keyboard. Four methods were compared for their relative economy. Two of the methods
involved the use of study and analysis before learning. In one the studying was done with the aid
of a prepared analysis, in the other the analysis was prepared by the subject. The third method
included no study previous to the keyboard learning. The fourth method was designed to test the
value of familiarity with the musical material from hearing it before learning it by any of the
other methods. The efficiency of each method was evaluated by relearning time or relearning
repetitions which occurred three weeks after the original learning. Study periods were omitted
and all learning was limited to the keyboard.
Data analysis showed that the method which included the formulation of an analysis by
the subject proved superior to the method without such analysis. Even inexpert and
inexperienced analysis is much better than none at all. Preliminary hearing of the musical
material before learning showed no advantage in relearning over doing without this preliminary
hearing. The author also stated that no relationship exists between piano experience and learning.
Experience in playing does not imply that memorizing of new material will be quickened in
direct ratio to the amount of such experience.
7. Cooke, James Francis. How to Memorize Music. Philadelphia: T. Presser Co., 1948.
A detailed presentation of practical steps in memorizing as well as employment of

hearing, sight, and the kinesthetic sense. A Symposium Upon Memorizing is a chapter devoted to
contemporary pianists and their methods of memorizing, including Harold Bauer, Maurice
Dumesnil, Rudolph Ganz, Heinrich Gebhard, Percy Grainger, Howard Hanson, Josef Hofmann,
Edwin Hughes, Ernest Hutcheson, Guy Maier, Isidor Philipp, Moriz Rosenthal, Olga Samaroff-
Stokowski, Silvio Scionti, Victor Seroff, Reginald Stewart, Sigismond Stojowski, and John
Finley Williamson.
[James Francis Cooke (1875-1960) was an editor-in-chief for The Etude, a U. S.
magazine dedicated to music, from 1909 to 1946.]
6
http://music.indiana.edu/giving/scholarships/scholarships-hoffzimmer.shtml [Accessed 3 October 2011].
6
8. Rubinstein, Beryl. The Pianist’s Approach to Sight-Reading and Memorizing. New York: C.
Fischer, 1950.
An elaborate explanation on how memorization is assisted mainly by a recognition and

understanding of musical elements. The author presents four component parts of memory: aural
memory, visual memory, tactile memory, and analytical memory. Aural memory is basic in
learning to play a piece of music from memory and controls the functioning of the other
memories. Visual memory serves as a guide to the other memories. Tactile memory requires
consistency in using the same fingering every time a piece is practiced or played. Analytical
memory involves the understanding of musical structure, chain of events, as well as tonal
philosophy.
[Beryl Rubinstein (1898-1952) was a piano virtuoso, music educator, and composer. He
taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1921 until his death, serving
as director of the school for the last two decades of his life.7]
9. Ahrens, Cora B., and G. D. Atkinson. “Memorizing.” In For All Piano Teachers, 80-83.
Oakville, Ontario: The Frederick Harris Music, c1954.
An overview of aural memory, visual memory, tactual memory, kinesthetic memory, and
analytical memory. This chapter also discusses relevant factors that affect performing from
memory: silent study, when to memorize, practice performing, nervousness, correct practice,
deep breathing, and self control.
[Cora B. Ahrens (1891-1964) was the author of such works as Ear Training, Daily
Exercise in Sight Playing, Rudiments of Music, and Mother Goose of Rhymes in Rhythm.]
[G. D. Atkinson (1878-1964) was a lecturer in Psychology and Pedagogy of the School of
Music and Faculty of Music of the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto.]
10. D'Abreu, Gerald. “Memory.” In Playing the Piano with Confidence: An Analysis of
Technique, Interpretation, Memory, and Performance, 89-102. New York: St. Martin’s Press,
1965.
A discussion of partial memory, muscular memory, aural memory, photographic memory

(or ‘keyboard memory’), concentration, analysis, memorizing melodically, memorizing parts,
memorizing harmonically, memorizing twentieth-century music, memorizing away from the
keyboard, memorizing before practicing, memorizing in sections, memorizing as a whole,
growth of memory, co-ordination of all types of memory, hypnotic effect of fear, and memory
made safe. Musical examples include J. S. Bach’s Fugue in B-flat from the Well-Tempered
Clavier, Book I, Chopin’s Prelude in C op. 28 no. 1, and Bartok’s Improvisation op. 20 no. 7.
7
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2698 [Accessed 20 April 2011].
7
11. Sándor, György. “Memorization.” In On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression.
New York: Schirmer Books, 1981.
A single chapter from the book on when to memorize music and four memory
components. The author recommends to concentrate on memorization only when the material is
ready to be stored – that is, when most of the technical and musical problems have been cleared.
Four ingredients share in the process of memorization: (1) visual memory, (2) acoustic or aural
memory, (3) motoric or kinetic memory, and (4) intellectual or analytical memory. The author
recommends identifying the weakest of the four ingredients, working on it first, and then
following through with the others.
[György Sándor (1912-2005) was an internationally respected pianist and piano teacher,
especially known for his recordings of music of Bartók and Prokofiev. He made his concert
debut in Budapest in 1930 and toured widely through Europe until 1939. In that year Sándor left
for the United States. He became a naturalized citizen of that country in 1943. In 1956 he joined
the faculty of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, remaining there until 1961. In that
year he moved to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as director of graduate studies in
piano. In 1982 he left Ann Arbor to join the piano faculty of the Juilliard School of Music in
New York.8]
12. Reubart, Dale. Anxiety and Musical Performance (On Playing the Piano from Memory).
New York: Da Capo Press, 1985.
A detailed discussion on many elements of performance anxiety and the array of

solutions to counter that syndrome. Chapters Three, Four, and Five focus on different aspects of
performing from memory such as consciousness in practice, consciousness in performance,
consciousness in listening to the music, the role of the visual system in playing from memory,
pitch perception and improvised playing, establishing auditory and haptic memory, “forgetting
the notes” and losing control, as well as solving musical problems.
[Dale Reubart taught piano at the University of Southern California (1956-1960), at
Western Washington State College (1960-1963), and at the University of British Columbia
(1963-1986). Specializing in 19th- and 20th-century piano music, Reubart has performed as
soloist, chamber player, accompanist, and lecture-recitalist in several North American centers
and has written articles on performance practices. In 1979, he began research into performance
anxiety and in 1983 began to lecture on the subject widely in Canada, the USA, and Great
Britain, leading many practical workshops for musicians suffering from stage fright.9]
13. Shockley, Rebecca Payne. Mapping Music for Faster Learning and Secure Memory: A
Guide for Piano Teachers and Students. Madison: A-R Editions, Inc., 1997.
A tool to help pianists develop their own approach to mapping a piece of music. Mapping
is a simple strategy for learning and memorizing music more efficiently. The technique used is
8
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gyrgy-sndor-q50612/biography [Accessed 7 October 2011].
9
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002961 [Accessed 9 April
2011.]
8
diagramming the main features of a piece and using this diagram as a "map" for learning the
music. Over 50 musical excerpts from elementary to advanced level, along with practice ideas
and samples of mapping techniques, are included. The author encourages readers to be creative
with their own ways of mapping. Some of the musical examples are Kabalevsky: A Little Joke,
op. 39 no. 6, Satie: Gymnopedie no. 3, C. P. E. Bach: Solfeggieto, and Schubert: Impromptu in
A-flat minor, op. 90 no. 4 (Trio).
[Rebecca Shockley is Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Coordinator of Class Piano at the
University of Minnesota. She has given presentations on music learning at colleges, universities,
and for music teacher organizations across the U.S. and in England, Canada, Taiwan, China and
Korea. An active member of Music Teachers National Association, Shockley chaired the
Pedagogy Saturday Committee for two years and previously served on the National Convention
Program Committee. For twelve years she also chaired the Committee on Learning Theory for
the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy. She has given clinics for Frederick Harris and the
Lorenz Corporation, and she served on the Advisory Board for Piano Discoveries, a recent piano
method published by Lorenz. Mapping Music was also published in a Korean translation by
Hanyang University Press in 2002.10]
14. Aiello, Rita and Aaron Williamon. “Memory.” In The Science and Psychology of Music
Performance: Creative Strategies for Teaching and Learning, Richard Parncutt and Gary E.
McPherson, eds. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
An analysis of existing literature on how to memorize music. The authors suggest that
general theories of expert memory can help in understanding how expert musicians memorize
music. Musical memory involves aural, visual, and kinesthetic information. The skill of the
performer and the style and difficulty of the music to be memorized determine the strategies used.
A study of music theory and analysis is a tool to enhance the performer’s ability to memorize.
According to the authors, learning to improvise in the style of the music could also be beneficial.
[Rita Aiello has served on the faculties of The Juilliard School, The Manhattan School of
Music, and The City University of New York. She has also been a visiting professor at
Universita' Degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", and a visiting scholar in this department. Her
research addresses mainly the perceptual and the cognitive processes that we apply when
listening to music, and the relationship between the mental representation and the emotional
import of music.11]
[Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music.
His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific and health-related initiatives
that inform music learning and teaching. Aaron is a fellow of the RSA and the UK's Higher
Education Academy and has been elected an Honorary Member of the RCM. In addition, he has
performed as a trumpeter in chamber and symphony orchestras, brass bands, and brass quintets
in both Europe and North America.12]
10
https://music.umn.edu/people/faculty-staff/profile?UID=shock001 [5 April 2011].
11
http://www.psych.nyu.edu/aiello/ [Accessed 20 February 2011].
12
http://rcm.academia.edu/AaronWilliamon [Accessed 20 February 2011].
9
15. Chaffin, Roger, Gabriela Imreh, and Mary Crawford. Practicing Perfection: Memory
and Piano Performance. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., 2002.
A perspective on memorization from a concert pianist, a cognitive psychologist, and a

social psychologist. The pianist video-taped her practice as she learned the third movement,
Presto, of the Italian Concerto for a CD of works by J. S. Bach (Imreh, 1996). A CD
accompanies this book containing the performance that marked the end result of the learning
process. Collections of interviews with great pianists regarding their own preparations for
performance are included in chapter three. Among them are Martha Argerich, Claudio Arrau,
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Harold Bauer, Jorge Bolet, Alfred Brendel, Misha Dichter, Rudolf
Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, Percy Grainger, Josef Hofmann, Stephen Hough, Edwin Hughes,
Murray Perahia, Artur Rubinstein, Olga Samoroff, Rudolf Serkin, and Andre Watts.
[Roger Chaffin is a teacher and researcher with the Department of Psychology at the
University of Connecticut. His research interests have included the differences between linguistic
and factual knowledge the involvement of semantic processes in word learning and definition
and eye movements during the learning of a new word. Chaffin’s largest and most recent body of
research has concentrated on music performance.]
[Gabriela Imreh is a classically trained professional pianist. In addition to her performing
and recording activities Imreh has served on the faculty at several universities, including a 2003
appointment as Guest Professor at the University of Connecticut.]
[ Mary Crawford is Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Her
research interests primarily involve gender and communication, feminist research methods, as
well as gender and cognition.]
16. Williamon, Aaron. “Memorising Music.” In Musical Performance: A Guide to

Understanding, ed. John Rink, 113-128. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press,
2002.
A summary of studies which have examined musical memory systematically. Williamon

covers subject matters such as: exploring why musicians perform from memory and exploring
how musicians perform from memory (methods of memorizing music, interviews with musicians,
and the principles of expert memory). The author suggests that the extent to which certain
analytical strategies are the most effective and efficient need to be addressed by subsequent
research.
[Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music.
His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific and health-related initiatives
that inform music learning and teaching. Aaron is a fellow of the RSA and the UK's Higher
Education Academy and has been elected an Honorary Member of the RCM. In addition, he has
performed as a trumpeter in chamber and symphony orchestras, brass bands, and brass quintets
in both Europe and North America.13]
13
10
17. Ginsborg, Jane. “Strategies for Memorizing Music.” In Musical Excellence: Strategies and
Techniques to Enhance Performance, ed. Aaron Williamon, 123-141. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2004.
A review of memorization strategies that are based on a critique of existing observational

and empirical research, accomplished within the context of Western classical music. This chapter
begins with an introduction on basic principles of human memory, followed by an exploration of
musical memory specifically and a selection of strategies commonly used by musicians. The
chapter closes with a brief discussion of how individual differences in learning styles may impact
one’s capacity to memorize. An extensive list of references is included at the end of the chapter.
[Jane Ginsborg is Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise & Director, Centre for
Music Performance Research at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, United
Kingdom. Her principal research interests are in singing, and in expert musicians’ preparation for
performance and long-term recall of music. Current and recent investigations include interactive
performance for musicians with hearing impairments, the teaching and learning of small group
performance, the roles of gesture and talk in duo rehearsal, dancers’ long-term recall for
movement with and without music, musicians’ career transitions, and musicians’ health.14]
18. Gordon, Stewart. “Techniques to Develop Secure Memorization.” In Mastering the Art of
Performance: A Primer for Musicians, 81-89. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
A discussion of four characteristics that are present in memorizing music for performance:
1) Complexity of material, 2) Anticipated level of precision, 3) Time issues, and 4) Anxiety. The
author suggests the complexity of material can be solved through the use of specific techniques:
analyze structural organization, think about the conceptual meaning behind the material, break
the material down into small units, and construct mnemonic references as one memorizes.
Setting up start-up points will build a safety net, should anxiety cause a blank out during a
performance.
[Stewart Gordon is a musician, teacher, writer, editor, composer, and impresario. He
holds the position of Professor of Keyboard Studies at the Thornton School of Music of the
University of Southern California in Los Angeles. As a performing pianist, he has played
concerts throughout the world and recorded extensively, both to critical acclaim. As a teacher
and author he has produced textbooks, essays, videotapes, and editions. As a composer, his
musical theater works have been produced from coast to coast, and as an impresario, he has
directed music festival and competitions over the past decades in New York, Washington, and
Savannah.15]
14
http://www.rncm.ac.uk/meet-our-staff-mainmenu-51.html?view=item&catid=431%3Aresearch-a-
enterprise&id=544%3Adr-jane-ginsborg [Accessed 10 October 2011].
15
http://stewartgordon.com/ [Accessed 20 April 2011].
11
CHAPTER III
Annotated Bibliography – Journal Articles
1. Hughes, Edwin. “Musical Memory in Piano Playing and Piano Study.” Musical Quarterly 1
(1915): 592-603.
One of the earliest sources on musical memory. The author suggests concentration is the
one most necessary factor in memorizing music. One’s physical condition, such as a sleepiness
or sickness, may very well affect one’s ability to memorize and reproduce from memory. Three
methods of memorizing piano music are discussed: by ear, by visual memory, either of the notes
on the printed page or the notes on the keyboard, and by finger memory or reflex action. A
valuable supplement to intelligent memorizing is having knowledge of harmony and musical
form, as well as of counterpoint and fugue.
[Edwin Hughes was an American pianist and teacher. He taught at the Ganapol School of
Musical Art in Detroit, the Volpe Institute of Music in New York, and the Institute of Musical
Art in New York. From 1920 to 1926 he was special editor of piano music for G. Schirmer, Inc.
He toured widely in the USA and Europe after the close of World War I, performed duo-recitals
with his wife, the pianist Jewel Bethany Hughes, and also gave master-classes.16]
2. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: I. A

Comparison of the Unilateral and the Coordinated Approaches.” Journal of Educational
Psychology XXX (1939): 321-345.
A study that compared the security of learning achieved by an approach in which either
hand was memorized before coordination, with an approach in which the learning was
coordinated from the beginning. The four methods presented provide combinations of
Interrupted and Uninterrupted study periods, Coordinated and Separate hand practicing. Two
learnings were accomplished at each session with a short rest period between them. The
relearnings were done two weeks from the date of the learning, and followed the same
experimental pattern as the learnings except that the preliminary study period was omitted and
the relearning was done by the coordinated approach.
Four complete eight measure fragments were chosen for their simplicity, attractiveness,
and unfamiliarity. Thirty-six subjects from the music schools of New York City participated in
this study. All of them were serious music students or professional musicians. The author
concludes that unilateral trials preliminary to coordinated trials produce greater stability and
clarity in the learning of piano material.
16
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Hughes-Edwin.htm [Accessed 26 March 2011].
12
3. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: II. A
Comparison of Massed and Distributed Learning.” Journal of Educational Psychology XXXI
(1940): 270-284.
A study designed to retest the long-established superiority of distributed over massed

practice. Three methods of practice were contrasted as follows: (A) massed learning, (B)
distributed learning – two practice periods in one day about one hour part, and (C) distributed
learning – two practice periods in two days about twenty-four hours apart. For all three methods,
the standard completed learning was one smooth memorized performance by the right hand
alone, one by the left hand alone, and one smooth coordinated performance. Relearning was
accomplished exactly two weeks from the date of the learning. This involved no preliminary
study and was done by the coordinated approach.
Nine eight-measure periods were adapted from compositions covering a wide range of
era and style. The nine subjects, one man and eight women, were all experienced pianists. The
number of learning trials required by the three methods showed no differences, though the
massed-trial study produced a greater degree of over-learning. Based on the analysis of all the
variables in the relearning situation, in this instance, distributed practice should be recommended
for less able learners. For the more able, either approach is equally productive.
4. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: III. A

Comparison of the Whole and the Part Approach.” Journal of Educational Psychology XXXI
(1940): 460-476.
A study intended to provide experimental support for the general assumption that whole
learning is in some way intrinsically superior to part learning. The whole-part problem here is
reduced to its simplest form: an eight-measure period. Nine units of approximately eight
measures each were adapted from various styles of unfamiliar piano material and learned either
as a whole, in two phrases, or in four small figures. Subjects were nine adult skillful pianists who
repeated the experiment three times, memorizing three compositions by each of the three
methods. Each keyboard memorizing was preceded by an analytical study period of fixed length.
The relearning to measure retention took place two weeks later, without study period or separate
hand practice. The subject also transcribed the score on music paper after each memorized
relearning to further check on the accuracy of the retention.
The author suggests that no superiority can be found in any of the three approaches, nor
is retention in any way affected by having first learned the whole in smaller parts. The standard
deviation of the group decreases progressively as the units of learning are smaller. This suggests
that a group of music students of diverse capabilities could be advised to work in as small units
as they individually find satisfactory. On the other hand, the larger standard deviation for the
whole approach indicated that the ability to work comfortably with larger unites is specific to the
more capable subjects. Furthermore, the musical value of thinking in larger units, apart from any
consideration of learning efficiency, recommends that the length of the unit be increased as the
student grows in capacity.
13
5. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: IV. The
Effect of Incentive.” Journal of Educational Psychology XXXII (1941): 45-54.
An experiment designed to examine the effect of incentive on the learning “plateaus”

such as fatigue, lack of interest and attention, and relaxation of the “will to do.” Three kinds of
learning were compared: free or unmotivated except for the factors already existing in the
situation; spurred by a verbal exhortation to work with maximum speed and intensity; urged by
the cash incentive in proportion to speed. Nine subjects of advanced musical accomplishment
repeated the entire experiment three times using different learning materials each time. The nine
unfamiliar experimental compositions ranged from eight to fourteen measures in length and were
adapted from the piano works of relatively obscure 18th century composers.
The author concluded that for each individual a minimum number of trials is required to
bring the learning of a complicated skill to a given point of perfection and that this number can
not be reduced by added incentives. Interest in the work itself, pride in personal production and
efficient learning techniques are at least as effective as any irrelevant incentives that can be
applied externally.
6. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: V. A

Comparison of Pre-Study Periods of Varied Length.” Journal of Educational Psychology
XXXII (1941): 101-112.
A study on how far silent study and analysis shall be carried before keyboard practice.
Nine musical examples of unfamiliar 18th century piano music were studied for three, six, and
nine minutes before continuing the memorizing to perfect performance at the keyboard. At the
end of the study period, the material was transcribed from memory as a check on the stage of the
learning. Two weeks later it was relearned to measure the relative retention values of the several
amounts of preliminary study. Nine adults, all competent musicians and skillful pianists, each
performed the experiment three times, so that twenty-seven learning trials resulted from each
method, or eighty-one learning trials in all.
The author suggests, as indicated by transcriptions of the memorized material, the
medium study period produced one hundred percent learning and the longest period allowed time
for a considerable amount of over learning. Gauged by the keyboard trials, the longer study
periods proved economical but not in proportion to the time invested; gauged by the amount of
retention over a period of two weeks, there were no economies in any one of the three varied
lengths.
7. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: VI. A

Comparison of Two Forms of Mental Rehearsal and Keyboard Overlearning.” Journal of
Educational Psychology XXXII (1941): 593-602.
An experiment that attempts to evaluate a further period of study or mental rehearsal

situated at points in the learning when some keyboard learning has already been accomplished.
14
Three procedures were compared, all of which incorporated a five-minute period of analysis
preliminary to any keyboard trials. The first introduced a four-minute period of mental rehearsal
or “imaginary” practice after five keyboard trials or mid-way in the learning, then continued the
keyboard trials to reach the criterion of perfect memorized performance. The second carried the
keyboard trials to the criterion, and then added four minutes of mental rehearsal. The third, like
the second, reached the keyboard criterion, and then added extra keyboard trials for four minutes.
Exactly two weeks later the relearning was done without study periods to measure the relative
retention offered by the three learning methods. A second relearning occurred seven months after
the learning to estimate the residual benefits.
Subjects participated in the study were nine adult skillful pianists, most of them piano
teachers. Nine short but complete musical periods ranging from five to ten measures in length
were adapted from unfamiliar piano materials by Zipoli, Pasquini, Galuppi, Frey, Dohnanyi, Gal
and Toch. The mid-way period of mental rehearsal or “imaginary” practice proved reliably
superior to the other time distribution. The four minutes of mental rehearsal placed after the
learning is, apparently, an inferior procedure. It not only required more keyboard trials, but
produced less retention than either of the other methods. In the second relearning after seven
months these differences disappeared.
8. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: VII. A

Comparison of Three Degrees of Overlearning.” Journal of Educational Psychology XXXII
(1941): 688-696.
An experiment that evaluates proportional degrees of over learning past the criterion of
smooth memorized performance by adding fifty, one hundred, and two hundred per cent of the
learning trials to the finished product. After two weeks and again after seven months the
relearning took place without preliminary study. All keyboard trials were done by massed
learning, by the “whole” approach and without the benefit of separate-hand learning.
Data analysis shows that there are almost no differences in the means after two weeks
and after seven months. This supports the assumption that effective learning is insured by an
emphasis on pre-keyboard analysis plus an immediate memorizing under the intensive conditions
of the experimental situation. It might be recommended that the most economical learning
procedure is one which carries an intensive logical learning to the criterion of smooth memorized
performance and saves the extra trials for subsequent practice periods to restore the learning to
this same level.
9. O’Brien, Cyril C. “Part and Whole Methods in the Memorization of Music.” Journal of
Educational Psychology 31 (1943): 552-560.
Six experiments conducted by comparing part and whole methods of memorizing music
after an isolation of factors comprising composite memory. Four graduate students of the
Maritime Academy of Music, Halifax, N. S., Canada, acted as subjects. Data analysis
demonstrated that music memorization involving auditory, visual, and tactile abilities, when the
15
music is well within the range of the technique of the subjects, the part method of memorizing is
more economical.
[Cyril Cornelius O'Brien established the first courses in the psychology of music in
Canada in 1935 by at the Maritime Academy of Music. As head of the academy's department of
psychology until 1947, O'Brien taught courses in the psychology of music, administered tests of
musical talent, and wrote articles on music aptitude tests (1935), tonal memory (1943, 1953,
1958), and tone color discrimination (1945).17]
10. Schweishmeir, Waldemar. “How Good is Your Musical Memory?” Etude 73 (February
1955): 20-50.
An informative discussion of musical memory and different aspects that affect it. The
author suggests the capacity of memory decreases with progressive years. The musical pieces
learned three decades ago tend to stay better in one’s memory when aging, than those learned
only recently. In addition to aging, the author suggests some diseases and physical disorders are
connected with decreasing memory, such as anemia, adenoids, habitual nose bleeding, disorders
of the blood vessels, and overactive thyroids (goiter), chronic constipation, etc. Fatigue also
plays an important part in loss of memory. On the other hand, sleep will restore the faculty of
remembering. Lastly, increased use of memory will make it stronger. Good and enduring results
are obtainable only through a series of small but continuous daily effort.
11. Bryant, Celia Mae. “Memorizing: A Science.” Clavier 2 (October 1963): 20-25.
An article on how to memorize through the principles involved in the understanding of

music theory. The author suggests successful memorizing will be affected by three conditions:
interest, mental capacity, and experience. The first part of the article discusses four aids that will
establish desirable associations for memorizing: analytical, aural, tactile, and visual. The best
memory work includes all four aids, assuming that technical difficulties are adequate to meet the
requirements of the composition. The second part of the article explains the procedure of
memorizing, rechecking the knowledge after a piece is memorized, recitals, and nervousness.
The author uses Bach’s Musette in D major as an illustration on how to memorize.
[Celia Mae Bryant died August 4, 1999. For many years she was a regular contributor to
Clavier, providing insightful articles on piano pedagogy from their very first issue in March
1963. Many of her articles on master lessons were recorded in Braille by the Library of Congress.
She was a past president of the Music Teachers National Association and taught at the University
of Oklahoma School of Music as well as at Interlochen.]
17
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002884 [Accessed 2 June
2011].
16
12. Kohler, Jean Charles. “Some Ideas on Memory.” Clavier 5 (May/June 1966): 45-49.
An article that promotes the superiority of the analytical approach to memorizing music
in terms of speed of memory and in terms of reliability. The author explains that there are two
principles of the analytical approach: the “type chord” approach and “playing by ear.” A chart of
chord types built on C is enclosed to help students understand the type chord system. The
advantage of this system is that it is practical regardless of frequent key and chordal changes.
Playing by ear involves improvisation to some extent with a given chord pattern so that students
can quickly see and use a chordal approach to memory. Musical examples include Chopin’s
Tarantelle, Op. 48, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor.
13. Tallarico, P. Thomas. “A Musical Investigation of the Kamin Effect.” Journal of Research
in Music Education V. XXI, no. 2 (Summer 1973): 153-161.
A study that was constructed to further investigate the results of Kamin’s studies in
relation to the amount of retention or number of correct responses. In 1957 Leon J. Kamin began
a study of laboratory animals that were trained to avoid punishment by moving from one end of a
shuttle box apparatus to the other. The number of correct responses or avoidances recorded
during the relearning trials provided a measure of retention. Kamin’s data revealed that the
amount of retention or number of correct responses declined significantly when the intervals
between sets of trials were from zero to one hour, but the number of correct responses increased
significantly when intervals were from one hour to nineteen days.
Forty undergraduate students with prior musical training served as subjects of Tallarico’s
study. A two-part test was constructed that included musical stimuli. The author suggests that the
evidence shows a phenomenon similar to what has been described as the Kamin effect occurs
when human subjects are presented auditory musical stimuli without punishment. In both
experiments, the number of correct responses at first decreased with time and followed by an
increase in the number of correct responses made by subsequent groups. However, further
investigations are needed to conclude that the outcome of this study substantiates the three-phase
concept of memory (a short-term memory, an intermediate-term memory, and a long-term
memory).
[P. Thomas Tallarico was Professor and Chair Emeritus at Bowling Green State
University.]
14. Schmied, Al. “The Importance of Developing Kinesthetic (Finger) Memory in Piano
Performance.” American Music Teacher 23, no. 5 (1974): 10-12.
The author presents his strong conviction that kinesthetic or tactile memory, reinforced
by the tonal memory, plays the most essential role in a successful performance. He suggests
practicing blind-folded is a painful but effective process of assimilation.
[Al Schmied was for many years the Head of the Music Department of the University of
Tennessee, Knoxville.]
17
15. Tallarico, P. Thomas. “A Study of the Three Phase Concept of Memory: Its Musical
Implications.” Journal of Research in Music Education no. 39 (Fall 1974): 1-15.
An examination of the literature relating to the three-phase concept of memory: short-

term memory (STM), intermediate-term memory (ITM), and long-term memory (ITM). The
discussion is followed by speculation as to the musical implications of this concept utilizing
Grace Rubin-Rabson’s experiment in 1940.18 The speculation has led to the assumption that it
may be possible to increase teaching efficiency in certain areas of music instruction which
depend on memorization of musical material.
[P. Thomas Tallarico was Professor and Chair Emeritus at Bowling Green State
University.]
16. Guerrant, Mary T. “How Secure is Your Memory?” The Piano Quarterly 27, no. 106
(1979): 51.
A brief article on how to prevent memory “blackouts” and ways to memorize piano
music. The author believes that purposeful playing of everyone note in the score is one of the
most effective safeguards against memory lapses. The music must have a sense of direction,
purpose, proportion, climaxes. Consistency of concentration is another important requirement for
a fine performance. The author formulates some memorization techniques that will help
performers to achieve this goal: study the score visually, play the left hand forte and the other
hand as softly as possible and vice versa, play the piece with eyes closed, play silently, play the
piece very slowly at pianissimo from memory, “hear” the music mentally and visualize how your
hands look on the keyboard.
17. Keeney, Wendell. “Memorizing and Memory Security.” American Music Teacher 28, no. 3
(1979): 40-41.
An article on various ways of memorizing music and suggested memory tests to make
certain that a piece is known on the level of every single note. The author suggests the actual
process of memorizing does not require endless repetition if it incorporates a thorough
knowledge of scales, chords and arpeggios with their fingerings, and musical analysis. J. S.
Bach’s Two-Part Invention in C major is used as a musical example.
[Wendell Keeney (1903-1989) was an American pianist and composer who studied
composition with Rubin Goldmark and Nadia Boulanger and produced a number of beautifully
crafted works. He was for many years chair of the music department at Furman University in
Greenville, South Carolina. Later he moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued to teach
privately.19]
18
Grace Rubin-Rabson, “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: II. A Comparision of Massed and
Distributed Practice.” Journal of Educational Psychology XXXI (1940): 272-279.
19
http://www.dramonline.org/content/notes/nwr/80304.pdf [Accessed 1 November 2011].
18
18. Magrath, Jane. “Nerves, Memory, and Piano.” American Music Teacher 32, no. 6 (1983):
17-18.
A practical recommendation on how to overcome nervousness. This is crucial because

nervousness may lead to memory lapses during a performance. The author suggests the quality
of the preparation and practice are the critical elements for a successful performance. Before an
actual recital, the pianist may practice performing by mentally imagining the performance
situation or tape recording his program at home or in the studio. Playing through the recital
program for people will also help the pianist to cope with the anxiety of performance. Lastly, one
must discipline his mind not to wander from the music during the performance.
[Jane Magrath is well-known as an author, clinician, and pianist. Her book The Pianist’s
Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature has become a classic reference work
for pianists throughout the country. She currently has more than thirty-five volumes published
with Alfred Publishing, and her music editions are used widely throughout the U. S. and abroad.
She is Regents’ Professor and holds the Grant Endowed Chair in Piano Pedagogy the University
of Oklahoma.20]
19. Nuki, Michiko. “Memorization of Piano Music.” Psychologia 27 (1984): 157-163.
A case study designed to identify the abilities necessary in music memorization, superior
methods for music memorization, and the structure of music which presents difficulties for
memorization. A piano piece was specially commissioned for this study. Subjects consisted of
seventeen piano students from Tokyo National University of Music and the Fine Arts, five
compositions students from the same university, and eight piano students from two private music
universities. Three important factors were made clear from the results of the experiment and
survey: 1) Basic to memorization of the piano piece was solfège ablities, 2) The ability to
thoroughly grasp musical structure through extensive training in harmony and compositional
elements are factors in memorization, and 3) A high correlation between sight-reading abilities
and memorization abilities was proved within the extent of the piece (which was based on
functional harmony) used for this experiment.
20. Sloboda, John A., B. Hermelin, and N. O’Connor. “An Exceptional Musical Memory.”
Music Perception 3 (1985): 155-170.
A study on the learning behavior of a musical idiot savant (NP) who is capable of
memorizing large-scale pieces of piano music in three or four hearings. Attempts to memorize
two contrasting pieces are documented. The first was op. 47 no. 3 (“Melodie”) from Grieg’s
Lyric Pieces and the second was “Whole Tone Scale” from book 5 of Bartok’s Mikrokosmos.
The results are compared with those provided by a professional pianist. Transcription of the
reproductions shows that NP’s ability is constrained to tonal music and is structurally based. In
this respect, it corresponds to the performance of high IQ memorizers and supports the view that
20
http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/M/Jane.J.Magrath-1/ [Accessed 13 February 2011].
19
general intelligence is not necessary for the development of high levels of musical memorization
skill.
[John A. Sloboda is Emeritus Professor at Keele, honorary Professor of Music at Royal
Holloway University, London, and Visiting Research Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music &
Drama, London. He has been a member of the School of Psychology at Keele since 1974 and
was Director of its Unit for the Study of Musical Skill and Development founded in 1991. John
Sloboda is internationally known for his work on the psychology of music.21]
21. Bliss, Russell A. “Developing a Better Memory by Making the Right Connections.” The
Piano Quarterly 37, no. 146 (1989): 48-49.
An analogy made between driving to a new destination and playing a piece of music from
memory. The author suggests when the piece is new, the pianist is aware of every element that
helps one memorize. As the music settles into the subconscious, these musical landmarks
become less obvious. An awareness of how the two hands interact is one of the subtle devices to
memorize piano music. Musical examples are taken from Brahms’s Variations and Fugue on a
Theme by Handel (mm. 8-9) and the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in D major, Op. 10
No. 3 (mm. 74-78).
[Russell A. Bliss is a pianist living on Long Island. He received his doctorate from
Columbia University where his project included an analysis and performance of Beethoven’s last
three sonatas. He is professor of music at Nassau Community College in Garden City and has
taught a large class of private students for many years.]
22. Brodsky, Ellen A. “Memory Games for Young Students.” Clavier 29, no. 3 (1990): 18-19.
A presentation of three memory games utilized by author in her piano studio. “The Box”
is used to isolate a particularly difficult section in a child’s piece. The teacher may ask the
student to memorize each hand of the boxed passage and then have her play the whole box by
memory several times in the lesson. “Super-Quick Study” requires students to memorize on the
spot a relatively easy piece based on a pattern or easy progression within five minutes, without
ever playing through the music first. “Words of the Week” call for several terms relating to
students’ current repertoire. During the next few lessons, the teacher quizzes them at random.
[Ellen A. Brodsky received her D. M. A. from Stanford Unversity. An independent piano
teacher in California, she also teaches at the Community School of Music and Art in Mountain
View and performs as orchestral pianist with the Redwood Symphony.]
23. Jordan-Anders, Lee. “Stamp Out Memory-by-Default.” Clavier 29, no. 5 (1990): 32-35.
An article on teaching memory as an active skill by utilizing the senses of seeing, hearing,
and feeling. The author suggests the sooner the students understand the importance of using not
only their fingers, but also their brains, the sooner one can wipe out memory-by-default. The
21
http://www.iplevents.org/mms/sloboda [Accessed 25 July 2011].
20
author uses the composition Serge the Russian Bear by John Robert Poe as an example for
teaching active memorization at the early levels.
[Lee Jordan-Anders is Batten Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence at Virginia
Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia where she teaches courses in aesthetics, listening, music
theory, chamber music, and applied piano. Her articles on various aspects of piano teaching have
appeared in Clavier Magazine, and she is a frequent guest speaker and adjudicator for piano
teachers’ organizations. She continues to be an active performer and scholar, giving concerts and
lectures throughout the United States.22]
24. Lim, Serene and Louis G. Lippman. “Mental Practice and Memorization of Piano Music.”
The Journal of General Psychology 118 (January 1991): 21-30.
A study that examined the effect of mental practice on memorization of piano music.
College piano performance majors attempted to play short, unfamiliar selections from memory
after practicing for 10 minutes by playing the score, visually inspecting it, or listening to a
recorded rendition while examining the score. When practicing mentally, subjects were
encouraged to make use of visual, acoustic, and kinesthetic imagery. Results showed that
physical practice led to the best performance. Listening to a model of ideal performance
provided some benefit over visual inspection alone.
[Louis G. Lippman is Professor Emeritus at Western Washington University.]
[No biography was found for Serene Lim.]
25. Jacobson, Jeanine M. “Memorize and Remember.” American Music Teacher 41, no. 4
(1992): 16-19.
A presentation of memory and learning principles, initial memory procedure, and

memory games for continuity and security. The author believes that playing music at the piano
from memory requires two types of learning. First, tactile and aural memory are combined with
visual and intellectual memory to generate a complete and reliable memorization of the
information. Teacher may help the student find the structural plan of the piece and divide the
piece into short, logical learning units. Second, memory must be tested and drilled. This can be
done through the use of various games. Allegro in C by Alexander Reinagle is used as a musical
example.
[Jeanine Jacobson gained much of her expertise in the field of piano pedagogy during her
25 years as an independent piano teacher. She pursued graduate work at the University of
Minnesota and completed her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. She subsequently served
twenty-year tenure as Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at California State University
Northridge, where she currently holds the position of professor emeritus.23]
22
http://facultystaff.vwc.edu/~ljordananders/ [Accessed 8 June 2011].
23
http://www.alfred.com/img/authors/jacobson.html [Accessed 16 February 2011].
21
26. Ford, John. “Many Ways to Memorize.” Clavier 35, no. 3 (1996): 24-26.
A discussion on various approaches to memorizing music by strengthening types of

memory; visual or photographic memory, tactile memory, and auditory memory. The author
suggests that a visual or photographic memory involves seeing complete pages of music in one’s
head and/or visually looking at the hands while playing. Tactile memory is an essential part of
playing but also the least reliable. To develop strong visual and tactile memories a pianist should
play a piece at slow as well as at fast tempos. According to the author, playing the music on a
table top with and without the score will enhance one’s auditory memory.
[John Ford has taught piano in schools and private studios. He is a member and former
president of the North Shore Music Teachers Association in Illinois.]
27. Mastroianni, Thomas. “Memory and Anxiety.” Piano & Keyboard 181 (July/August 1996):
37-39.
A discussion on the relationship between anxiety and music memorization. Anxiety can
alter the focus of attention. Often what the performer calls a memory slip is not at all the result of
faulty memory storage, but simply a misdirection of attention or poor focus. The author explains
briefly how human nervous systems handle the two body states (the anxious state and the calm
state). He, therefore, suggests that performers need to learn how to retain the calm state in order
to maximize memory performance on stage and trust that the work they have done will bring
positive results.
[Thomas Mastroianni is President of the American Liszt Society, Director of Piano of the
Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival, and Professor Emeritus at The Catholic University of
America. He is a 1992 recipient of the Medal of the Hungarian Liszt Society. His piano
performances, lectures, and master classes have been presented in 20 countries on four
continents.24]
28. Chaffin, Roger and Gabriela Imreh. “Understanding and Developing Musical Memory:
The Views of a Concert Pianist and a Cognitive Psychologist.” American Music Teacher 46,
no. 3 (December 1996/January 1997): 20-25.
A presentation of a case study on how the general memory principles developed by

psychologists apply to expert piano performance. The pianist (Imreh) recorded and evaluated her
practice sessions when she was preparing for a public performance of the third movement of
Italian Concerto by J. S. Bach. She identifies three distinctive stages involved in the process.
The first stage contains the forming and remembrance of an enormous number of cues that
include all aspects of musical memory. In the second stage, these cues become more automatic.
In the last stage of the work, the attention should be directed toward the interpretative and
expressive cues.
[Roger Chaffin is a teacher and researcher with the Department of Psychology at the
University of Connecticut. His research interests have included the differences between linguistic
and factual knowledge the involvement of semantic processes in word learning and definition
24
http://thomasmastroianni.com/index.htm [Accessed 15 February 2011].
22
and eye movements during the learning of a new word. Chaffin’s largest and most recent body of
29. Hallam, S. “The Development of Memorisation Strategies in Musicians: Implications for

Education.” British Journal of Music Education 14 (1997): 87-97.
An observation of strategies for memorizing music as expertise develops. Twenty-two

professional freelance musicians, representatives of most instruments of the modern symphony
orchestra including an organist and a conductor, and fifty-five string players, aged 6-18, were
interviewed regarding their approaches to memorization. Automated repetitions were evident
across the range of expertise. Aural and kinesthetic strategies were almost universally reported,
visual and cognitive approaches less so, the latter only in the professionals.
[S. Hallam is Dean of Faculty and Professor of Education at Institute of Education,
London. Her research interests comprise of disaffection from school (behaviour, attendance,
exclusion), learning and understanding (studying, homework, practising, the role of feedback),
ability grouping, music psychology and music education.25]
30. Mastroianni, Thomas. “Mind and Body: Can Musical Memory Be Manipulated?” Piano &
Keyboard 186 (May/June 1997): 20-21.
A suggestion that memory and learning can be manipulated. The author suggests that
people remember what they pay attention to, thus manipulation refers to direction of attention.
Musical analysis adds meaning to the notes on the page and “whatever is meaningful is easy to
remember.” Creativity also plays an important role to memory enhancement. Performers are
encouraged to recreate the musical ideas rather than simply memorizing the notes.
[Thomas Mastroianni is President of the American Liszt Society, Director of Piano of the
Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival, and Professor Emeritus at The Catholic University of
America. He is a 1992 recipient of the Medal of the Hungarian Liszt Society. His piano
performances, lectures, and master classes have been presented in 20 countries on four
continents.26]
31. Chaffin, Roger and Gabriela Imreh. “Pulling Teeth and Torture: Musical Memory and
Problem Solving.” Thinking & Reasoning 3, no. 4 (November 1997): 315-336.
A report on a concert pianist (Imreh) learning J. S. Bach’s Italian Concerto (Presto). She
videotaped herself throughout the process and commented on the problems she came across as
she practiced. Some two years later, Imreh wrote out the first page of the score from memory.
Her verbal reports were mostly related to recognizing familiar patterns and identifying the formal
25
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/staff/FFPS/FFPS_17.html [Accessed 22 March 2011].
26
http://thomasmastroianni.com/index.htm [Accessed 15 February 2011].
23
structure in the early stage of learning, and using the structure as a retrieval scheme in the later
stage of learning. Practice segments were more likely to start and stop at boundaries of the
formal structure than at other locations, and recall was higher for the beginnings of sections than
for later portions.
[Chaffin is a teacher and researcher with the Department of Psychology at the University
of Connecticut. His research interests have included the differences between linguistic and
factual knowledge the involvement of semantic processes in word learning and definition and
eye movements during the learning of a new word. Chaffin’s largest and most recent body of
32. Williamon, Aaron. “The Value of Performing from Memory.” Psychology of Music 27
(1999): 84-95.
A case study on performances of the Preludes from Cello Suites I, II, and III by J. S.
Bach across five separate circumstances, differing with respect to memorization and the presence
of music stand. Fifty “musicians” and thirty-six “non-musicians” were asked to watch and rate
one video-taped performance of each prelude on four performance aspects: overall quality,
musical understanding, technical proficiency, and communicative ability. Ratings implied that
performing from memory surpassed playing from the score, visibility of the performer
influenced audiences’ ratings of performances in a favorable direction, the extra time spent
preparing for the memorized performances was worthwhile, and musicians seemed biased in
favor of performances without a music stand. Similar research needs to be done on the value of
performing from memory for pianists.
[Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music
(RCM). His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific and health-related
initiatives that inform music learning and teaching. In addition, he has performed as a trumpeter
in chamber and symphony orchestras, brass bands, and brass quintets in both Europe and North
America.27]
33. Sterba, Lydia S. “Shortcuts for Good Memorizing.” Piano Guild Notes 49 (6/2000): 4-5.
An article that offers various methods for accurate memorization. The author suggests
that good memorization has the pre-requisite of a smooth and careful reading of notes, rhythm,
and fingering. The author then explains the four categories of music memorization – analytical
memorization, eye memorization, hand memorization, and ear memorization – and provides
practice approaches on each category. Students should be encouraged to memorize as early as
possible. As soon as the student understand how to shape his hands properly and can read both
clefs, he is assigned a small section of one or two solos for his lesson each week.
[Lydia Sterba has recently retired from her teaching position at Morton College’s piano
department. She has been a soloist with several regional symphonies and orchestras in the
27
24
Chicago area including the Chicago Symphony and Chicago Civic Orchestra. She has appeared
in concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, receiving excellent critical reviews. She has given
numerous lectures and served as an adjudicator in various piano contests at schools and colleges
in the Chicago area, as well as serving as Guild adjudicator for annual auditions. She has a large
class of talented students who have participated in Guild auditions and who have won various
trophies, scholarships and grants throughout her years of teaching.]
34. Carni, Ellen I. “Eye Movements and Memory.” Piano & Keyboard 208 (January/February
2001): 19-20.
An introduction to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) method.

Developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987 for the treatment of trauma survivors, it
is now being used for more common conditions such as anxiety, depression, as well as for
enhancing creativity and performance. Carni explained that EMDR sessions first evoke strong
memories and emotions. By relieving past events with brain stimulation, you rid them of their
disturbing power and allow in a flow of increasingly positive and hopeful thoughts, feelings,
images, and anticipated events that your practitioner “installs” with more sets of brain
stimulation.
[Ellen I. Carni is a clinical psychologist living in New York City.]
35. Chaffin, Roger and Gabriela Imreh. “Practicing Perfection: Piano Performance as Expert
Memory.” Psychological Science 13, no. 4 (July 2002): 342-349.
A study extending the principles of expert memory from domains that depend almost
entirely on conceptual memory, like memory for chess and digit strings. A concert pianist (Imreh)
recorded her practice as she learned the third movement, Presto, of J. S. Bach’s Italian Concerto.
She also described the formal structure of the piece and reported her decisions about fingerings,
phrasings, and performance cues. Like expert memorists in other fields, the pianist in this study
engaged in extensive practice in the use of a retrieval scheme to ensure that recall occurred
rapidly and automatically.
25
36. Hughes, Walden. “The Benefits of Silent Practice.” Clavier 41, no. 8 (October 2002): 26-27.
A proposition on the main advantages of silent practice: improved concentration and

increased confidence. The author suggests this practice can be done on any type of instrument,
from a high-quality grand to a synthesizer with the sounds turned off. Student should also
practice slowly at a pp dynamic to evaluate his memory of a composition and identify problem
spots in playing.
[Walden Hughes has published 75 articles and reviews (book and CD reviews) in
national and international music journals. He holds five degrees in music, including two in piano
performance and one each in piano pedagogy, music history and literature, and music theory.
Hughes teaches piano, music history, composition and counterpoint at Northwest Nazarene
University, where he has served for the past 33 years.28]
37. Williamon, Aaron and Elizabeth Valentine. “The Role of Retrieval Structures in
Memorizing Music.” Cognitive Psychology 44 (2002): 1-32.
A study that explores the use of structure in the encoding and retrieval of music and its
relation to level of skill. Twenty-two pianists, categorized into four levels of skill, were asked to
learn and memorize an assigned composition of J. S. Bach (different for each level). The data
showed that the overall use of structural bars in starting and stopping practice segments increased
with ability level, the use of structural bars developed with stage of practice, and the early use of
structural bars to guide practice corresponded with quality of performance. These findings
suggest that the identification and use of musical structure in guiding practice is a prominent
characteristic of skill and becomes increasingly so as a function of expertise.
[Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music
(RCM). His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific and health-related
initiatives that inform music learning and teaching. In addition, he has performed as a trumpeter
in chamber and symphony orchestras, brass bands, and brass quintets in both Europe and North
America.29]
[Elizabeth Valentine is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University
of London, United Kingdom. Her main research interest is in the development of scientific
psychology in Britain, particularly London, during the first third of the twentieth century, with a
particular focus on personal relationships. She is also interested in the psychology of music
performance and have carried out a series of investigations on memory expertise.30]
38. Highben, Zebulon and Caroline Palmer. “Effects of Auditory and Motor Mental Practice
in Memorized Piano Performance.” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education
159 (Winter 2004): 58-65.
A study examining the effects of two types of mental practice in learning to perform an
unfamiliar piece from memory: auditory and motor practice. Sixteen pianists performed
28
http://people.nnu.edu/wdhughes/ [Accessed 6 February 2011].
29
30
http://www.rhul.ac.uk/psychology/staffdirectory/professorelizabethvalentine.aspx [Accessed 1 August 2011].
26
unfamiliar music from notation during ten practice trials, with the presence or absence of
auditory feedback and motor feedback (finger movements). Pianists were instructed to mentally
practice the missing feedback. After the practice trials the pianists performed the pieces from
memory under normal performance conditions. Four musical pieces were composed for the
experiment, based on the compositional style of early Baroque organ works.
Data analysis showed that physical practice conditions (in which auditory and/or motor
feedback were present) led to better performance recall than conditions with mental practice.
Furthermore, pianists with strong aural skills were least affected in memory tests by removal of
auditory feedback during practice. These findings suggest that an accurate auditory image is
important for successful performance from memory.
[Zebulon Highben is a choral conductor, composer, and church musician. He is currently
a D.M.A. student in choral conducting at Michigan State University, and also serves as Director
of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Lansing and conductor of the Ingham Festival Chorale.
Highben has taught at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Luther Seminary, and the annual
Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival, where he has been The Paul Bouman Chapel
Choir Director since 2005.31]
[Caroline Palmer has served as Professor of Psychology and Canada Research Chair at
McGill University in Montreal, Canada since 2003. Her research program combines two related
issues in cognitive psychology: how people remember long sequences typical of speech and
music, and how they produce those sequences.32]
39. Oura, Yoko and Giyoo Hatano. “Parsing and Memorizing Tonal and Modal Melodies.”
Japanese Psychological Research 46, no. 4 (November 2004): 308-321.
An investigation on how style-specific knowledge contributes to melodic memory. The

main focus of the study was the contribution of parsing skills for transforming an authentic,
novel melody into series of short, conventional tonal sequences for memorization. Two melodies
of different styles, a tonal melody in the style of Western tonal music and a modal (Japanese
traditional) melody, were used as materials. Participants consisted of nine undergraduate music
majors who had more than 15 years of piano training and ten inexperienced students who had no
or a much shorter experience in playing tonal music. Results indicate that stable parsing is a
necessary, but not sufficient, condition for efficient melodic memory.
[Yoko Oura serves as Faculty of Education and Human Sciences at Niigata University,
Japan. Her research interests include expertise in creative domains and the acquisition of music
skills.]
[Giyoo Hatano is Professor at the University of the Air, Chiba City, Japan. His research
interests include conceptual development, expertise, and literacy/numeracy acquisition.33]
31
http://www.lutheransummermusic.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112&Itemid=154
[Accessed 9 November 2011].
32
http://www.mcgill.ca/spl/palmer/ [Accessed 9 November 2011].
33
http://edr.sagepub.com/content/32/8/26.abstract [Accessed 6 June 2011].
27
40. Duke, Robert A. and Carla M. Davis. “Procedural Memory Consolidation in the
Performance of Brief Keyboard Sequences.” Journal of Research in Music Education 54, no.
2 (Summer 2006): 111-124.
The first in a series of experiments that observes consolidation effects in simple and
complex motor skills, including skills involved in music performance. Subjects were 49 right-
handed non-music majors enrolled in music class at the University of Texas at Austin. Using two
sequential key press sequences, the authors tested the extent to which subjects’ performance on a
digital piano keyboard changed between the end of training and retest on subsequent days. This
study showed consistent, significant improvements referable to sleep-based consolidation effects,
indicating that learning continued after the termination of practice during both the first and
second nights of sleep following training.
[Robert A. Duke is Professor of Music and Human Learning at the University of Texas at
Austin. He is the founder of the National Forum on Research in Motor Learning and Music, a
research collaborative devoted to the study of motor skill development and procedural memory
consolidation. He lectures frequently on the topics of human learning, systematic observation
and evaluation, and behavior management, presenting workshops and teaching demonstrations
throughout North America.34]
[Carla Davis Cash is Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Texas Tech
University where she serves as chair of the keyboard division, coordinates the group piano
program, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in pedagogy and applied music.35]
41. McLachlan, Murray. “Advanced Memory Techniques.” International Piano 46

(July/August 2006): 40-41.
A description of a master class presenting fourteen steps or tips to memorizing music for
pianists who have sufficient patience and determination. Some of the unusual suggestions are
relax and take deep breaths while sitting at the piano (do this regularly throughout a practice
session to improve memory), away from the piano, write out the fingering of each note then play
(using the music) the passage on a table following the exact fingering, and lie down and “sing”
the passage in one’s head and aloud from memory. Four musical excerpts from different periods
were chosen to illustrate the approach: the first movement of J. S. Bach’s English Suite in A
minor, the central section of Chopin’s E-flat minor Etude op. 10 no. 6, the transition from
chorale to fugue in Cesar Frank’s Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue, and Shostakovich’s Sonata no. 1.
[Murray McLachlan is a concert pianist who has received outstanding critical acclaim for
intelligent and sensitive interpretations and superb technical ability. His prolific discography has
received long-standing international recognition and includes over thirty commercial recordings,
including the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Prokofiev and many rarities.36]
34
http://www.music.utexas.edu/directory/details.aspx?id=36 [Accessed 7 March 2011].
35
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/Faculty/CarlaCash.asp [Accessed 10 March 2011].
36
http://www.murraymclachlan.com/biography.htm [Accessed 15 July 2011].
28
42. Duke, Robert A. and Amy L. Simmons. “Effects of Sleep on Performance of a Keyboard
Melody.” Journal of Research in Music Education 54, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 257-269.
The first demonstration of consolidation-based enhancement of motor skills in the

context of music. 75 music majors at the University of Texas at Austin learned a twelve-note
melody on the piano and recalled the melody following 12- or 24-hour intervals that either did or
did not include sleep. All were non-pianists with no training on the piano beyond four semesters
of group piano instruction. This study has led to a speculation that perhaps new, intricate motor
tasks are best learned with intervening intervals of sleep between their introduction and recall in
later practice.
[Robert A. Duke is Professor of Music and Human Learning at the University of Texas at
Austin. He is the founder of the National Forum on Research in Motor Learning and Music, a
research collaborative devoted to the study of motor skill development and procedural memory
consolidation. He lectures frequently on the topics of human learning, systematic observation
and evaluation, and behavior management, presenting workshops and teaching demonstrations
throughout North America.37]
[Amy L. Simmons serves as Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education at
Texas State University. She is currently the Chair for the Instructional Strategies Research
Interest Group for the MENC: National Association for Music Education, and has been a long-
time member of the State Research Committee for the Texas Music Educators Association.38]
43. Chaffin, Roger and Gabriela Imreh. “Learning Clair de Lune: Retrieval Practice and
Expert Memorization.” Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 24, no. 1 (April
2007): 377-393.
A case study examining the relationship between three principles of expert memory (use
of familiar patterns to encode new information, use of retrieval scheme, and extended retrieval
practice) and memorization of piano music. A concert pianist (Imreh) recorded her practice as
she learned Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. She also provided detailed reports on the formal
structure of the piece, the performance cues, and other decisions about technique and
interpretation. The study has shown that musicians’ use of musical structure and performance is
coherent with principles of expert memory developed from the study of experts in other fields
and with principles of memory derived from the study of general population.
37
http://www.music.utexas.edu/directory/details.aspx?id=36 [Accessed 7 March 2011].
38
http://www.music.txstate.edu/facultystaff/bios/simmons.html [Accessed 7 March 2011].
29
44. Mishra, Jennifer and William W. Backlin. “The Effects of Altering Environmental and
Instrumental Context on the Performance of Memorized Music.” Psychology of Music 35, no.
3 (July 2007): 453-472.
A study involving three experiments to determine whether musical memory was context
dependent. Musicians were asked to learn short and relatively simple exercises. Audience was
omitted from this study to avoid confounding variables. Contexts comprised the following
performing environments: lobby/conference room for experiment 1 and practice room,
professor’s studio, stage for experiment 2. Experiment 3 extended the definition of ‘context’ to
include instrument. Participants learned a 16-bar piano composition on either a grand piano
(context A) or an upright studio piano (context B) and then were asked to recall on either the
same piano (conditions AA and BB) or the different piano (conditions AB and BA). Results
showed that pianists who learned and performed on the same piano performed more accurately
than pianists who changed to a different piano.
[Jennifer Mishra is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at the
University of Houston. Her research interests are in the area of music cognition, specifically
focusing on performance memory.39]
[William W. Backlin is Professor of Piano Studies, Music Theory and Music History at
the North Iowa Area Community College.40]
45. Mishra, Jennifer. “A Century of Memorization Pedagogy.” Journal of Historical Research

in Music Education 32, no. 1 (October 2010): 3-18.
An observation of trends of pedagogical writing on musical memorization between 1872

and 2006. Articles written by musicians and music teachers and published in English language
periodicals or as book chapters were subjected to a content analysis (N = 185). The majority (60
percent) of the articles focused on memorizing for keyboard instruments (piano or organ). Many
articles were instrument-nonspecific (16 percent), emphasizing memorization as a process rather
than as a specific instrument technique. A handful of articles focused on memorizing for certain
instruments (strings/guitar, woodwinds/recorder, brass/percussion), including conducting. Only a
few articles were devoted to vocal memorization (3 percent).
[Jennifer Mishra is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at the
University of Houston. Her research interests are in the area of music cognition, specifically
focusing on performance memory.41]
39
http://www.music.uh.edu/people/mishra.html [Accessed 20 April 2011].
40
http://www.niacc.edu/music/faculty.html [Accessed 20 April 2011].
41
http://www.music.uh.edu/people/mishra.html [Accessed 20 April 2011].
30
Chapter IV
Annotated Bibliography – Theses/Dissertations
1. Erskine, Martha. “Harmonic Analysis as an Aid to Memorizing Piano Repertoire.” M.M.

thesis, University of Arizona, 1942.
A case study of the relative effectiveness of harmonic analysis among several methods of
music memorization. Data was collected from interviews with and observations of five piano
teachers, eight concert artists, and a number of conservatory and college piano students over a
period of ten years. Four methods of or devices for music memorizing were found from this data.
Method I consisted of memorizing a piece of music as a whole by means of repetition. Method II
involved conscious memorizing of openings of passages or sections. Method III was
photographic memory, namely “seeing” or recalling a “mentally photographed” image of the
score. Method IV was the committing of material to memory through interest in the subject
derived from appreciation of the harmonic structure of the composition. The author concluded
that the method of memorizing piano repertoire with the aid of harmonic analysis was the most
secure.
2. Von Grabow, Richard H. “A Brief Study of Mental Processes as Applied to the

Memorization of Compositions for the Piano.” M.A. thesis, Ball State University, 1958.
A study that compares terms and theories of educational psychologists with the practices
of pianists on memorization and attempts to apply the psychologist’s standardized terms and
theories to memorization in musical endeavors such as the author’s graduate piano recital. The
psychologists accentuate the correlation, integration and associative transfer of material in
learning situations and de-emphasize repetitive drill. On the other hand, piano teacher-
performers stress mastery of detail and repetitive drill. The author believes that memorization by
repetitive methods followed by recall of the mental images associated with the learning resulted
in more accurate retention of the music.
[Richard von Grabow is Emeritus Carillonneur and Professor of Music History and
Literature, Iowa State University. He joined the faculty of the Music Department in 1969, was
appointed University Carillonneur in 1973, and retired in 1991.42 In addition to performing
throughout the United States, Grabow published carillon music arrangements which added
significantly to the published carillon music repertoire. He currently resides in Benicia,
California.43]
42
http://www.music.iastate.edu/carillon/festival/festival1995/festival.pdf [Accessed 19 November 2011].
43
http://www.music.iastate.edu/carillon/carillonneurs.php [Accessed 19 November 2011].
31
3. Nellons, Charles Edward. “An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Blocking on the
Memorization of Selected Piano Literature.” D.Mus.Ed. diss., University of Oklahoma, 1974.
A study that examined the effect of a blocking procedure on the number of repetitions
and the amount of practice time required for the memorization of selected piano repertoire, as
well as on retention accuracy. The term blocking refers to the practice of identifying note groups
according to hand positions by means of recognizing scale patterns as clusters; recognizing
intervals, arpeggios and chord fragments as solid chords; and identifying and classifying
compositional devices by the composer.
Participants were twenty-two undergraduate music education majors enrolled at Texas
Southern University, Houston, Texas. Three compositions were selected for the experiment:
Diversions no. 2 by Richard Rodney Bennett, The Rain and the Rainbow op. 65 no. 8 by Sergei
Prokofiev, and Prelude in E minor by Domenico Zipoli. Analysis of the data disclosed that
blocking allowed for a requisite number of repetitions to be completed in less time. While no
definite conclusion can be drawn, the obtained data appears to indicate that there is little
difference between the groups in retention accuracy after seventy-two hours.
4. Schlabach, Eugene L. “The Role of Auditory Memory in Memorization at the Piano.” Ed.D.
Thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1975.
A study that investigated the role of auditory memory and tested its effect on learning and
relearning of four methods of instruction. The four methods included aural analysis, visual
analysis, combined aural and visual analysis, and direct keyboard practice. A Graeco-Latin
square was used so that twenty-four subjects learned four piano compositions on four different
days, using a different method each time. Subjects were serious music students planning to
become professional musicians and music teachers. The four compositions were Gavotte by
Reinagle, Old Polish Dance and Rondo by Benjamin Carr, and Unexpected Visitor from
Beethoven’s Sketchbooks. They were sixteen measures in length. Each had a dominant melodic
line and chordal or broken-chord accompaniment patterns.
The multiple correlation coefficients showed that tonal memory and rhythmic
discrimination were benefits in learning by aural and visual methods while keyboard fluency and
rhythmic sensitivity were important to learning by combined aural and visual and direct
keyboard methods. Based on the results of the study, the experimenter author concluded that the
effectiveness of the method is influenced by individual abilities, composition difficulty levels,
and the specific content of compositions and analysis.
[Eugene Schlabach has held the position of Instructor in piano, theory, and music history
at Triton College, River Grove, Illinois since 1966. He was choral director in Waverly public
schools, Waverly, Illinois from 1958 to 1961. In 1961, he became instructor in piano and theory
Central Florida Junior College, Ocala, Florida.]
32
5. Lo, Lawrence Naai-Lei. “The Effect of Visual Memory Training on the Ability to
Memorize Music within Class Piano Instruction.” D.Mus.Ed. diss., Indiana University, 1976.
An experiment designed to determine whether study of the score followed by attempts to

visualize the score with eyes closed would aid college students studying secondary piano in the
memorization of four-part hymns similar to the patriotic songs they were required to memorize.
The area of investigation was limited to short-term recall or immediate memory. The study did
not attempt to explore visual memory as an asset to the memorization of advanced piano
literature.
Six second-semester piano classes at the Indiana University School of Music participated
in the experiment. The number of students completing the experiment was 14 in the control
group and 16 in the experimental group, each with an equal number of male and female students.
The criteria used for judging the taped performances were total accuracy score or perfect score,
rhythm score, melody score, and chord score. The experimental group, which received specific
instruction to memorize musical examples visually, improved more than the control group,
which did not receive this instruction, in every instance.
6. Shockley, Rebecca P. “An Experimental Approach to the Memorization of Piano Music

with Implications for Music Reading.” D.M.A. diss., University of Colorado at Boulder,
1980.
A study that represents an attempt to examine common methods of memorizing music

and to explore alternative procedures. Evidence was presented to support the hypothesis that
many memory problems originate from the repetition methods for memorizing frequently
applied after music has been learned. An alternative approach to learning music was constructed,
involving improvisation and the preparation of a visual abstract of the score away from the
keyboard, prior to playing, in order to stimulate pattern awareness.
The procedure was tested on twenty-eight students enrolled in piano classes at the
University of Colorado using a pre-test post-test quasi-control group design. Participants were
given a sight-reading task and a memorization task at the beginning and conclusion of the three-
week experiment. All tests were individually tape recorded and later scored for comparison
purposes. Students in the experimental group received practice sessions using the experimental
approach to music learning outlined above as a part of their piano class curriculum. Each
participant also completed a set of questionnaires before and after the experiment as a subjective
measurement of achievement. Although the results are somewhat inconclusive, they do suggest
gains in memorization ability and improved reading habits resulting from use of this method.
[Rebecca Shockley is Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Coordinator of Class Piano at the
University of Minnesota. She has given presentations on music learning for colleges, universities,
and music teacher organizations across the U.S. and in England, Canada, Taiwan, China and
Korea. An active member of Music Teachers National Association, Shockley chaired the
Pedagogy Saturday Committee for two years and previously served on the National Convention
Program Committee. For twelve years she also chaired the Committee on Learning Theory for
the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy. She has given clinics for Frederick Harris and the
Lorenz Corporation, and she served on the Advisory Board for Piano Discoveries, a recent piano
33
method published by Lorenz. Shockley is the author of Mapping Music: For Faster Learning
and Secure Memory - A Guide for Piano Teachers and Students, (A-R Editions, 1997, 2001).
Her book was also published in a Korean translation by Hanyang University Press in 2002.44]
7. Wilson, John Paul. “The Effect of Sleep and Time on Music Memory.” Ph.D. Thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, 1980.
An experiment that was designed to examine the effect sleep and waking activity would
have upon retention of memorized melodies learned to criterion at the piano. Ten subjects
memorized five melodies each at the piano, and retention intervals of 8, 24, 48, 72, and 168
hours were utilized. Learning occurred under one of the two experimental conditions: learning
prior to sleep or learning at the beginning of a period of waking activity. Data analysis indicated
that there was no significant difference in the time or trials to attain criterion in the learning
session. However, a considerable difference did exist for trials to recall criterion. The waking
condition required greater number of trials. There was also a substantial variance in rhythmic
accuracy, melodic accuracy, and combined accuracy, favoring the sleep condition. Sleep is
superior to waking at the 8-hour interval, reaches its maximum differential at 24 hours, and then
declines through 48 and 72 hours. Data collected also provided a comparison with other studies
of the “Kamin Effect,” characterized by a U- or V-shaped retention curve.
8. Jones, Alfred R., III. “The Role of Analytical Pre-Study in the Memorization and Retention
of Piano Music with Subjects of Varied Aural/Kinesthetic Ability.” Ph.D. diss., University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990.
A study that investigated the relationship of four methods of analytical pre-study to the
time and number of trials required for pianists with diverse aural/kinesthetic (A/K) ability, or the
ability to play “by ear,” to memorize four piano compositions and to relearn these same
compositions after a period of three to four weeks. Data analysis revealed that (a) pre-study of
compositions before memorization had no effect on either memorization or re-memorization, and
(b) subjects with high A/K ability required significantly fewer repetitions to re-learn the
compositions. The procedure for the main study closely followed the procedures used in Rubin
Rabson’s 1937 investigation of pre-study in memorizing piano music.
9. Rickey, Eunice L. “An Investigation to Observe the Effects of Learning Style on

Memorization Approaches Used by University Group Piano Students When Memorizing
Piano Literature.” D.A. diss., Ball State University, 2004.
A study that observed which approaches to memorization were being used by group
piano students and which approaches were most effective in short memorization tasks. Seventeen
group piano students enrolled at Indiana Wesleyan University were tested for their learning style
44
https://music.umn.edu/people/faculty-staff/profile?UID=shock001 [5 April 2011].
34
preferences and then were given a sample of music to memorize. Each subject completed a brief
experience and task ease pretest, an interview while observing the video of what took place
during the memorization process, and a posttest questionnaire on learning approaches used.
Subjects who were observed for this research had a tendency to memorize more from the
visual and tactile approaches. Findings in the posttest questionnaire indicated that the majority of
subjects used aural and/or visual approaches as their preferred ways of memorizing. This
research showed that there was more tendency for subjects using visual memory approach to
receive the best memory scores (excellent, no errors). This study also indicated that students
using the analytical approach to memory tended to have the highest percentage of best
performance score (two of three received excellent or no errors scores).
[Eunice Rickey is Professor of Music at Indiana Wesleyan University where she teaches
piano courses and Senior Seminar. She is director of the annual IWU Piano Pedagogy
Conference and Coordinator of the IWU Music Academy. Rickey's scholarship endeavors lie in
the field of pedagogy. She has served on Indiana Music Teachers Association committees
and co-directed an annual conference also for the IMTA.45]
10. Sharpe, David D. “Applications to the Pedagogy of Memory and Piano Playing: Building
Solid Foundations.” D.M.A. diss., Arizona State University, 2004.
A document that explores the process of memorizing piano music and offers useful
strategies for students and teachers achieving this goal. Three repertoire samples from different
musical periods are used to illustrate various strategies for memorization. For each example, a
discussion of possible approaches one could use to memorize the music is given with reference
to building visual, aural, kinesthetic, and conceptual memory. The works involved are: 1) J. S.
Bach’s Minuet III in G major, from Suite in G minor, BWV 822, 2) Leonard Bernstein’s Five
Anniversaries no. 5: For Susanna Kyle, 3) Schumann’s Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces) op. 12
no. 2: Aufschwung (Soaring). Additional topics included are the workings of human memory
and memory building principles and strategies as applied to piano music.
[David Sharpe was three-time state collegiate winner for Arizona in piano in the MTNA
performance competitions, winner of the Atlantic Young Artists Competition, and has performed,
taught, presented and judged throughout the US, Canada and in Europe. He is a senior examiner
for RCM examinations, periodically examining candidates through the US and Canada. Sharpe is
also an attorney at law in Tampa, Florida.46]
11. Davis, Carla M. “Effects of Early and Late Rest Intervals on Performance and Consolidation
of a Keyboard Sequence.” Ph.D. diss., University of Texas at Austin, 2007.
Two experiments that involved non-musicians practicing a 5-note sequence with their left
(non-dominant) hand on a digital piano, designed to observe the extent to which 5-minute rest
intervals placed early and late during practice influence motor sequence learning. The sound
variable was eliminated in an attempt to focus specifically on the development of motor skills.
The introduction of extended rest in the early and late stages of practice significantly affected the
rates of learning within and between sessions, with large improvement favoring the early rest
45
http://www.indwes.edu/Academics/Faculty-Profiles/?facProfile=euni.rickey [Accessed 12 September 2011].
46
http://www.dariodiazlaw.com/english/our-staff/david-sharpe.php [Accessed 22 September 2011].
35
group. These findings suggest that neurophysical processes that occur during 5-minute rest
intervals enhance performance and that the temporal placement of rest in a training session
affects subsequent motor sequence learning and the consolidation of procedural memories.
[Carla Davis Cash is Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Texas Tech
University where she serves as chair of the keyboard division, coordinates the group piano
program, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in pedagogy and applied music.47]
12. Simmons, Amy L. “Effects of Practice Variability and Distribution of Practice on

Musicians’ Performance of a Procedural Skill.” Ph.D. diss., University of Texas at Austin,
2007.
A study designed to examine how procedural memory consolidation in a music task is

affected by practice under different conditions of speed regulation and different time intervals
between practice sessions. Ninety-two non-pianist musicians practiced a 9-note sequence with
their non-dominant hand on a digital piano in three sessions, each of which comprised 3 blocks
of 15 performance trials. In Experiment 1 (n = 31), participants were instructed to perform as
quickly and accurately as possible but determined their own tempos in each trial. In Experiment
2 (n = 31), three defined practice tempos were externally regulated in a stable practice procedure
in which tempo changed between, not within, blocks. In Experiment 3 (n = 30), the same three
tempos were externally regulated in a variable practice procedure in which practice tempo
changed from trial to trial within each block. In each experiment, three different groups’ practice
sessions were separated by either 5 min, 6 hr, or 24 hr.
The results demonstrate that motor skill learning in music is affected by the time interval
between practice sessions, and that the effects of distributed practice are dependent upon practice
conditions. Perhaps new music tasks are best learned with intervening intervals of sleep between
their introduction and recall in later practice. Distributing practice across time that allows
consolidation to stabilize and enhance procedural memories may even increase the efficiency of
musicians’ practice time.
[Amy Simmons is Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education at Texas State
University. She also serves as the Chair for the Instructional Strategies Research Interest Group
for the MENC: National Association for Music Education, and has been a long-time member of
the State Research Committee for the Texas Music Educators Association.48]
13. Allen, Sarah E. “Procedural Memory Consolidation in Musicians.” Ph.D. diss., University
of Texas at Austin, 2008.
A study that tested the extent to which a music performance skill was enhanced from
sleep-based consolidation overnight and whether this process may be interfered when musicians
learn two melodies in juxtaposition. Sixty experienced musicians, all non-pianists, learned to
perform either one or two 13-note piano melodies during evening training sessions. The
musicians practiced each melody with their non-dominant hand by repeating it from beginning to
end during twelve 30-second practice blocks alternating with 30-second rest intervals. All
participants were retested on the target melody the following morning in three 30-second retest
blocks alternating with 30-second rest intervals. The results suggest that experienced learners
47
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/Faculty/CarlaCash.asp [Accessed 10 March 2011].
48
http://www.music.txstate.edu/facultystaff/bios/simmons.html [Accessed 2 October 2011].
36
performing a familiar type of task, and one that includes auditory processing demands, benefit
from overnight consolidation of procedural memories. These benefits may be inhibited, however,
when musicians learn similar, competing tasks in juxtaposition.
[Sarah Allen is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Southern Methodist
University.49]
CHAPTER V
Summary and Conclusion
49
http://www.smu.edu/Meadows/AreasOfStudy/Music/Faculty/AllenSarah.aspx [Accessed 2 October 2011].
37
Memory is something we were born with, but, to develop it,
a technique of memorization must be acquired; like conscious practicing,
it can be developed to a remarkable degree.
- György Sándor50
Music memorization, especially for pianists, has been a continuing research interest since
the late 1890s. The numerous amounts of scholarly books, journal articles, and
thesis/dissertations written on this intriguing topic show the broad interest by performers,
teachers, students and scientists. This research project provides reviews of 76 resources that are
directly related to memorization of piano music from both musical and psychological points of
view.
Books Articles Theses/Dissertations Total

Before 1900 1 -- -- 1
1901-1910 2 -- -- 2
1911-1920 -- 1 -- 1
1921-1930 1 -- -- 1
1931-1940 2 3 -- 5
1941-1950 2 5 1 8
1951-1960 1 1 1 3
1961-1970 1 2 5 8
1971-1980 -- 5 -- 5
1981-1990 2 6 1 9
1991-2000 1 10 -- 11
2001-2010 5 12 5 22
TOTAL 76
Table 1. Breakdown by decade of the number of books, articles, and theses/dissertations written
on memorization of piano music included in this research project
Common Traits
Four Elements of Memory
50
György Sándor, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression (New York: Schirmer Books, 1981), 192.
38
Scholars have agreed that there are four types of memory involved in the memorization
of piano music: aural memory, visual memory, tactile or kinesthetic memory, and intellectual or
analytical memory. Aural memory is the ability to recall the sound of music in detail and nuance
(including what the pianist is listening to and listening for). It obviously plays an important role
for musicians and can be enhanced by ear training. Visual or photographic memory involves
seeing complete pages of music or sections of it in one’s head while playing and/or visualization
of hand placements on the keys. Tactile or kinesthetic memory is a significant part of playing but
also the least reliable. Often referred to as “motor memory”, it is generally agreed that it is the
most basic and essential part of memorization but must be reinforced by the other three forms of
memory. Analytical or intellectual memory requires understanding of harmonic, melodic,
rhythmic, and formal musical structure. To achieve maximum memory consolidation, one needs
to strengthen each of these four elements of memory with all the conscious attention they call for.
The Sense of Hearing
Musicians rely on their ears while playing their instruments. After all, music is enjoyed
through listening. Zebulon and Palmer51 conducted a study where sixteen pianists performed
unfamiliar music from notation, with the presence or absence of auditory feedback and motor
feedback (finger movements). After the practice trials the pianists performed the pieces from
memory under normal practice conditions. Their findings suggest that an accurate auditory
image in the initial memorization process is important for successful performance from memory.
51
Zebulon Highben and Caroline Palmer. “Effect of Auditory and Motor Mental Practice in Memorized Piano
Performance,” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 159 (Winter 2004): 58-65.
39
Ford52 recommends playing the music on a table top and without the score to enhance one’s
auditory memory.
The Sense of Visualization
The ability to visualize complete pages of music or sections of it in one’s head is rare.
The more common use of visual memory is recognizing the hand placements on the keyboard
which serves as a guide to other memory abilities.
The Sense of Feeling
Refined motor skills are required for playing any musical instrument. Countless hours of
practicing are dedicated to achieve such perfection. Studies show that consistent fingerings will
strengthen kinesthetic memory. Also, an experiment based on a simple 16-bar piano composition
showed that pianists who learn and perform on the same type of piano will recall more accurately
than pianists who change to a different type of piano (upright vs. grand piano)53.
The Role of Analytical Pre-Study in Memorizing Piano Music
Analytical pre-study is one element often neglected by pianists. Grace Rubin-Rabson, in
The Influence of Analytical Pre-Study in Memorizing Piano Music in 1937, discovered that the
method of memorization which included an analysis by the subject proved superior to the
method without such analysis. Even inexpert and inexperienced analysis is much better than
52
John Ford, “Many Ways to Memorize,” Clavier 35 no. 3, 1996, 24-26.
53
Jennifer Mishra and William Backlin. “The Effects of Altering Environmental and Instrumental Context on the
Performance of Memorized Music,” Psychology of Music 35 no. 3, July 2007, 453-472.
40
none at all. Other scholars who support this proposition include Martha Erskine54, Charles
Nellons55, and Eunice Rickey56. Further, Rebecca Shockley developed a tool to help pianists
develop their own approach to mapping a piece of music57. It is a simple strategy for learning
and memorizing music more efficiently by diagramming the main elements of a piece and using
this diagram as a “map.”
A Rise of Interest and Recent Development in the Research for the Past Decade
Table 1 shows that the number of studies on memorization of piano music doubled in the
past decade with two areas dominating the literature: expert memory and piano performance, and
the effect of sleep and time on musical memory.
Expert Memory and Piano Performance
General theories of expert memory involving the use of familiar patterns to encode new
information, use of a retrieval scheme, and extended retrieval practice have proven to be
compatible with musicians’ use of musical structure and performance from memory. Aaron
Williamon and Elizabeth Valentine explored the use of structure in the encoding and retrieval of
music and its relation to the level of skill in 200258. Their findings suggest that the identification
and use of musical structure in guiding practice is a valuable skill and becomes increasingly so as
a function of expertise. Roger Chaffin (a cognitive psychologist) and Gabriela Imreh (a concert
54
Martha Erskine, “Harmonic Analysis as an Aid to Memorizing Piano Repertoire” (M.M. thesis, University of
Arizona, 1942).
55
Charles Nellons, “An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Blocking on the Memorization of Selected Piano
Literature” (D.Mus.Ed. diss., University of Oklahoma, 1974).
56
Eunice Rickey, “An Investigation to Observe the Effects of Learning Style on Memorization Approaches Used by
University Group Piano Students when Memorizing Piano Literature” (D.A. diss., Ball State University, 2004).
57
Rebecca Shockley, Mapping Music for Faster Learning and Secure Memory: A Guide for Piano Teachers and
Students (Madison: A-R Editions, Inc., 1997).
58
Aaron Williamon and Elizabeth Valentine, “The Role of Retrieval Structures in Memorizing Music,” Cognitive
Psychology 44, 2002, 1-32.
41
pianist) agree that pianistic memory appears to be based on the use of a highly practiced retrieval
scheme which permits rapid retrieval of information from long-term memory, like other forms of
expert memory59.
The Effect of Time and Sleep on Musical Memory
Memorization implies not only the ability to store music but also the ability to bring it
back – to perform it60. In 1980, John Paul Wilson designed an experiment61 to examine the effect
of sleep and waking activity would have upon retention of memorized melodies learned at the
piano. Ten subjects memorized five melodies each at the piano, and retention intervals of 8, 24,
48, 72, and 168 hours were utilized. Learning took place under one of the two experimental
conditions: learning prior to sleep or learning at the beginning of a period of waking activity. The
waking condition required greater number of trials in the recall session. There was also a
considerable variance in rhythmic accuracy, melodic accuracy, and combined accuracy, favoring
the sleep condition. At the turn of the 21st century, similar research interests continued to grow.
Robert Duke, Amy Simmons, Carla Davis, and Sarah Allen conducted a series of experiments
that tested the effects of rest intervals and sleep on musicians’ performance of a procedural skill.
These studies suggest that distributing practice across time allows consolidation to stabilize and
enhances procedural memories.
59
Roger Chaffin and Gabriela Imreh. “Pulling Teeth and Torture: Musical Memory and Problem Solving,” Thinking
and Reasoning 3 (4), 1997, 315-336.
60
György Sándor, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression (New York: Schirmer Books, 1981), 192.
61
John P. Wilson,. “The Effect of Sleep and Time on Music Memory” (Ph.D. Thesis, University of Texas at Austin,
1980).
42
Conclusion
Resources annotated in this research project suggest that memorization is best
approached in a meaningful and musical way. Memorization is part of the music-making process.
It is an outcome of all skills and understanding which constitute total musicianship as applied to
learning. Strengthening all areas of musical skills, including reading, improvising, playing by ear,
and analysis, can lead to significant improvements in memorization.62
Many pianists struggle with memorizing their music because they rely solely on muscle
memory. Piano performance, though seemingly kinesthetic, is based on a high degree of
organizational skill in the learning. It is advisable for teachers to introduce the concept of music
analysis as early as possible and to request students to memorize their music often. For young
students, music analysis can be introduced through mapping music and/or varieties of memory
games.
It is interesting to note areas that were not covered by resources discovered in this
research project. First concerns the order of material for memorization, such as the effectiveness
of memorizing from beginning to end or memorizing the end or the most challenging sections
first. Second concerns the selection of repertoire for developing effective memorization skills.
For example, the effectiveness of studying music that contains much repetitive material (such as
an easier Chopin Waltz) first before learning and memorizing a more complex work (such as a
Bach fugue). A third possible direction is memorization of non-tonal piano music. Do the
techniques discussed in these resources apply to pieces with non-functional harmony?
Memorizing music requires patience and time. The pianist may try all memorization
techniques offered out there. In the end, the brain and body need some time to process the new
62
Rebecca Shockley, “An Experimental Approach to the Memorization of Piano Music with Implications for Music
Reading” (D.M.A. diss., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1980), 28.
43
information and automatically retrieve it when needed. Despite the disagreement whether or not
pianists should memorize their music when they will be performing it, memorizing promotes
mastery and understanding of the music and is therefore worth the extra time and energy that is
required.63 This study shows that memorization is not one dimensional, is a topic of interest for
improvement, and requires incorporating a variety of techniques simultaneously to achieve
optimum results, with individual pianists finding those methods that work best for security and
effective musical communication.
63
Alys Terrien-Queen, “Practicing to Play by Memory,” American Music Teacher 44, Aug/Sept 1994, 20.
44
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Works Consulted
Strunk Jr., William and E. B. White. The Elements of Style, 4th ed. Needham Heights: Allyn &
Bacon, 2000.
Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. Chicago:
The University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Search Engine
Google. <http://www.google.com/.
Databases
Journal of Research in Music Education. <http://www.jstor.com/, 2009, 2010.
The Music Index. <http://www.ebscohost.com/, 2009, 2010.
OCLC WorldShare. <http://www.oclc.org/us/en/default.htm, 2009, 2010.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. <http://www.proquest.com/en-US/, 2009, 2010.
Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale. <http://www.rilm.org/, 2009, 2010.
West Virginia University Libraries. <http://libraries.wvu.edu/, 2009, 2010.
Websites
Alfred Music Publishing. <http://www.alfred.com/, 2011.
All Music. <http://www.allmusic.com/, 2011.
The American Matthay Association for Piano. <http://www.matthay.org/, 2011.
Bach Cantatas. <http://www.bach-cantatas.com/, 2011.
The Canadian Encyclopedia/The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.

<http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/, 2011.
45
Dario Diaz, Attorneys at Law. <http://www.dariodiazlaw.com/, 2011.
DRAM. <http://www.dramonline.org/, 2011.
Educational Researcher, Sage Journals. <http://edr.sagepub.com/, 2011.
Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington. <http://music.indiana.edu/, 2011.
Indiana Wesleyan University. <http://www.indwes.edu/, 2011.
Institute of Education, University of London. <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/, 2011.
Iowa State University, Department of Music & Theatre. <http://www.music.iastate.edu/, 2011.
Lutheran Music Program. <http://www.lutheransummermusic.org/, 2011.
McGill University. <http://www.mcgill.ca/, 2011.
Murray McLachlan, pianist. <http://www.murraymclachlan.com/, 2011.
Music Meets Science. <http://www.iplevents.org/mms/, 2011.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia. <http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/, 2011.
New York University, Department of Psychology. <http://www.psych.nyu.edu/, 2011.
North Iowa Area Community College, Music Department. <http://www.niacc.edu/music/, 2011.
Northwest Nazarene University. <http://www.nnu.edu/, 2011.
Piano Pedagogy Forum. <http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/keyboard/ppf/, 2009.
Royal College of Music, Centre for Performance Science.

<http://rcm.academia.edu/Departments/Centre_for_Performance_Science/, 2011.
Royal Holloway University of London. <http://www.rhul.ac.uk/, 2011.
Royal Northern College of Music. <http://www.rncm.ac.uk/, 2011.
Southern Methodist University. <http://www.smu.edu/, 2011.
Stewart Gordon, composer. <http://stewartgordon.com/, 2011.
Texas State University, School of Music. <http://www.music.txstate.edu/, 2011.
Texas Tech University, School of Music. <http://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/, 2011.
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Thomas Mastroianni, pianist. <http://thomasmastroianni.com/, 2011.
University of Houston, Moores School of Music. < http://www.music.uh.edu/, 2011.
University of Minnesota, School of Music. <https://music.umn.edu/, 2011.
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2011.
Virginia Wesleyan College. <http://www.vwc.edu/, 2011.
47

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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A Guide to Selected Resources on Memorization Techniques for

Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd

Memorization Techniques for Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography

Research project submitted to the

Doctor of Musical Arts

Dr. James Miltenberger, Chair

Keywords: Bibliography, Piano, Memorization, Memorizing Piano Music

A Guide to Selected Resources on

Memorization Techniques for Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography

This research project provides reviews of resources for pianists, performers,

Background of the Problem……………………………………………………………….1

Chapter II – Annotated Bibliography: Books……………………………………………………..4

Chapter III – Annotated Bibliography: Articles…………………………………………………12

Chapter IV – Annotated Bibliography: Theses/Dissertations……………………………………31

Chapter V – Summary and Conclusion....……………………………………………………….38

Background of the Problem

Memorization is an integral part of learning and performing music in a pianist’s life.

Memorization is a process that is done consciously and with a specific intention,2 a

excluded from this project.

contributions to this project.

format of bibliographical entries according to Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research

focuses on personal observations and conclusions on how memorization techniques of piano

music have developed from the 20th century to today.

Annotated Bibliography – Books

An approach to memorizing piano music by apprehending and executing musical designs,

A thorough discussion on the processes applied during the preparation of a performance

5. Hoffzimmer, Ernest. The Musical Memory. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1931.

A lecture given in the School of Music of Indiana University on different types of

6. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. The Influence of Analytical Pre-Study in Memorizing Piano Music.

A detailed presentation of practical steps in memorizing as well as employment of

An elaborate explanation on how memorization is assisted mainly by a recognition and

A discussion of partial memory, muscular memory, aural memory, photographic memory

A detailed discussion on many elements of performance anxiety and the array of

A perspective on memorization from a concert pianist, a cognitive psychologist, and a

16. Williamon, Aaron. “Memorising Music.” In Musical Performance: A Guide to

A summary of studies which have examined musical memory systematically. Williamon

A review of memorization strategies that are based on a critique of existing observational

Annotated Bibliography – Journal Articles

2. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: I. A

A study designed to retest the long-established superiority of distributed over massed

4. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: III. A

An experiment designed to examine the effect of incentive on the learning “plateaus”

6. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: V. A

7. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: VI. A

An experiment that attempts to evaluate a further period of study or mental rehearsal

8. Rubin-Rabson, Grace. “Studies in the Psychology of Memorizing Piano Music: VII. A

An article on how to memorize through the principles involved in the understanding of

An examination of the literature relating to the three-phase concept of memory: short-

A practical recommendation on how to overcome nervousness. This is crucial because

19. Nuki, Michiko. “Memorization of Piano Music.” Psychologia 27 (1984): 157-163.

A presentation of memory and learning principles, initial memory procedure, and

A discussion on various approaches to memorizing music by strengthening types of

A presentation of a case study on how the general memory principles developed by

29. Hallam, S. “The Development of Memorisation Strategies in Musicians: Implications for

An observation of strategies for memorizing music as expertise develops. Twenty-two

An introduction to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) method.

A proposition on the main advantages of silent practice: improved concentration and

An investigation on how style-specific knowledge contributes to melodic memory. The

41. McLachlan, Murray. “Advanced Memory Techniques.” International Piano 46

The first demonstration of consolidation-based enhancement of motor skills in the

45. Mishra, Jennifer. “A Century of Memorization Pedagogy.” Journal of Historical Research

An observation of trends of pedagogical writing on musical memorization between 1872